Hospital Fresh 48 Newborn | Mara Vesper | Sharp Mary Birch San Diego, CA

NewbornPortrait Sessions

Apr 1

Written By Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA

Making sure to capture emotion & connection during a hospital Fresh 48 Newborn Session.

Mara (Mar-uh) Vesper Crum

2.20.2020 | 5:07am | 6lbs 14oz | 19.75 in

I am so glad Laura found me on social media and hired me to capture her newborn baby girl for the first time. Laura had been a nanny for many years and had an amazing mothers touch and gentle hand.

I was so nervous with everything going on here in San Diego, I was so afraid they were going to limit those who could visit in hospital due to the nasty virus going around (He who shall not be named). I wore a mask juuuussttt in case. Little did I know this would be the last baby girl I would get to photograph but funny enough, not at this specific session but at her in home lifestyle session a few days later! she's such a great model and mom ROCKS at decorating. I actually didn’t know what miss Mara’s name would be until the second session. Sorry mom and dad, had to tell on you for waiting to pick out a name. ;) All jokes aside, you guys are going to be great parents!

Welcome to motherhood! You wear it beautifully. Welcome to fatherhood; you got this.

Becoming a mother has been the greatest gift + the greatest challenge of my life.

Here are some of the many photos I was able to capture during their lifestyle newborn session before leaving the hospital.

Hope you enjoyed some of their gallery!

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Are you looking for lifestyle newborn images, like these, in your home or in the hospital? Let me know right HERE and we can get to planning and styling!

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When it comes to sports and activities, having only sons can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s great to have them all playing soccer or basketball together. On the other hand, it can be a bit overwhelming to try and wrangle them all into one place at the same time.

Life with three sons is a lot of fun. It can be chaotic at times but it’s always full of laughter and joy. So if you’re a parent of three sons, just remember to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Here are a few photos of all three brothers together and some with dad.

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Why I Chose to Become a Bereavement Doula

I began offering free remembrance photography to families facing loss because I knew firsthand how meaningful it is to have those memories preserved. After walking through my own experiences with grief — including the loss of my son, a close shipmate, and other loved ones — I felt called to do more.

What truly pushed me to pursue bereavement doula training was the urgent need I saw: a lack of education, support, and destigmatized care for grieving families. I had already been photographing military funerals and honoring life through my lens, so expanding into certified bereavement work felt like a natural step — one rooted in service, purpose, and compassion.

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This deployed Marine dad returns home to his beautiful wife and baby girl for the first time. The anticipation of this moment and importance of this first meeting was so important we decided to do video, too.

Lets be real, this sweet family of three are clearly lost in the moment enjoying their firsts. Cpl seems to have a good handle on fatherhood already because it doesn’t take long for him to embrace his girls and enjoy his first (adorable!) father/daughter bonding moment.

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Why you need to hire a photographer at least once in your Military Journey.

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Bonus Note about How Special Airport Homecomings are.

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Lets talk about the 4 most important things to remember when going into a dark and small hospital room for Fresh-48 Newborn photo session.

1. Make the Most of the Natural Light…First. I stay far away from flash when working with newborns in a lifestyle fresh 48 type of session. Not that there is anything horrible about it, I just don’t prefer it's disruption.

2. Focus on Details & Emotions Versus Perfection. We’re not here to worry about perfection. Fresh 48 or birth space sessions tend to trend towards the documentary photography end of the spectrum. This means that they are more true-to-life, less styled, and more “real”.

3. Black & Whites Can Improve the Emotional Value of an Image. Sometimes you can just embrace the grain or go with black and white. Honestly, black and white images are really iconic!

4. Utilize High Key Lighting & Silhouettes. In addition to black and white imagery, shooting towards the window allows for highlighting of details like peach fuzzy baby faces, and more.

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How to prep your home for an in-home newborn lifestyle session

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Part of why I love in-home newborn sessions is that everyone can be more relaxed and comfortable. Shooting these sessions in the comfort of your home allows for parents to have all the normal resources, making everyone (including baby!) feel more comfortable and relaxed.

I love newborn lifestyle sessions because they allow me to be a fly on the wall for all of the tender interactions between a new family unit.

Here are the 3 most important things to do to prep for your in home session:

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Apr 1, 2020

Hospital Fresh 48 Newborn | Mara Vesper | Sharp Mary Birch San Diego, CA

Apr 1, 2020

Making sure to capture emotion & connection during a hospital Fresh 48 Newborn Session.

I am so glad Laura found me on social media and hired me to capture her newborn baby girl for the first time. Laura had been a nanny for many years and had an amazing mother’s touch and a gentle hand.

I was so nervous with everything going on here in San Diego, I was so afraid they were going to limit those who could visit in the hospital due to the nasty virus going around (He who shall not be named). I wore a mask juuuussttt in case. Little did I know this would be the last baby girl I would get to photograph but funny enough, not at this specific session but at her in-home lifestyle session a few days later! she's such a great model and mom ROCKS at decorating. I actually didn’t know what miss Mara’s name would be until the second session. Sorry mom and dad, had to tell on you for waiting to pick out a name. ;) All jokes aside, you guys are going to be great parents!

Apr 1, 2020

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A fresh 48 is a session done in the hospital after baby is born but before you leave the hospital. They care called “Fresh 48” because they are captured within the first 48 hours of life to capture the details of a fresh babe. These precious sessions document the details of you and your significant other as you bond with your new baby. From documenting tiny little feet and ankle bracelets, to siblings meeting their baby brother or sister for the FIRST time, the authentic connection and emotion captured during this time will bring you to tears of joy every time you look at your Fresh 48 session.

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Choosing Posed Studio Newborn and In Home Lifestyle

There are lots of different styles, locations, props, and even editing when it comes to newborn photography and it's up to you to decide what's right for your family!

In my opinion, nothing is more beautiful than keeping things real, natural, and stress-free. After all, precious moments and family interactions are what you really want to preserve with the camera. Natural poses are also better for safety concerns with minimal risks involved and very hands off (important with recent pandemic talk).

If you’re wondering how to pose naturally with your baby, these stress-free poses will help guide you.

The beauty of lifestyle sessions with older siblings, is that the whole session is ‘go with the flow’. There are no expectations on them to behave or be still and that's totalllyyy okay. In this shoot, I took advantage of the gorgeous window light! We stayed in the living room by request but we're able to get so many great images. Check out the review I received and some photos from the session below.

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This military family met up with me on Windansea Beach here in La Jolla for their Maternity photo session. Mom brought this olive/army green dress, and I brought the burnt orange Chicaboo gown! Which, is in my client closet for ANY client to use, Maternity or not.

Sadly, our photo session only lasted a few minutes before the sky lit up beautifully at sunset and momma needed a little extra help because babe was pushing on her nerve. Just to be safe, we ended the session and momma got the medical attention she needed! YOU and your babies health come before photos <3

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Featured

Photographing military events and milestones are one of the most rewarding types of sessions I have ever photographed. I consider it a huge perk of living in a military town that I get to shoot them very often and am always honored to do so.

I am dedicated to serving others in a NEW way, that doesn’t involve active service in the military. I want to capture your special moments and help in any way I can; even if that means we are not that right match.

Community Over Competition

&

Servant Leadership

Are you looking for lifestyle newborn images, like these, in your home or in the hospital? Let me know right HERE and we can get to planning and styling!